1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an endless metallic belt, an electrophotographic endless belt, a fixing assembly, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, an endless belt is used in a fixing assembly by means of which unfixed toner images having been transferred to the surface of a recording medium, such as a paper sheet, is fixed by heat and pressure. As such an endless belt, an electrophotographic endless belt is known which makes use of, as a base layer, an endless metallic belt made of a metal having excellent thermal conductivity and strength as exemplified by stainless steel, nickel, aluminum or copper. In the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the electrophotographic endless belt used in such a fixing assembly (which belt is hereinafter termed a “fixing belt”) is rotatingly driven by using a plurality of rollers. In that case, a force that makes the fixing belt move in its thrust direction (which force is hereinafter also termed “run-aside moving force”) may be produced in the fixing belt being rotated. In order to control such a fixing belt movement due to such a force, it is proposed to provide a member which controls the movement in the width direction of the fixing belt or provides a mechanism which detects this movement by using a fixing belt movement detecting member, to correct such movement. In this case, it follows that the fixing belt comes into contact with the above end region controlling member or detecting member at the former's edge face(s). In this case, the fixing belt may crack at its end face(s). Accordingly, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-144833, it is proposed to provide a lubricating grease material or a solid lubricating layer in order to improve slidability between a metallic belt edge face(s) and an end region controlling member.